Custom Factions
The Silverlocks of the White Mountains and Harad Mountains The oldest and wisest faction of dwarves around, they are descendants of the first followers of Glosur, whom they revere as a god, much to his distaste. This faction of dwarves lasts from the beginning of the world to the end of time itself, whether it be strong or weak, it survived. They were the first democratic power on Arda, forming the dwarven government which eventually was composed of all 8 clans. Growing to span the universe, and never dying until the Planes themselves were torn apart. Whatever Faction Andarr is in.. Andarr is a bit of a handsome rogue, so it's hard to tell where his allegiance lies. He's served Gondor, Rivendell, Variags, and Near Haradrim before. The Tauredain (This is lore was created by ChazmanianDevil for the Tauredain.) A simple guide to Tauredain allies and enemies at this point if I missed a faction please tell me as I don't have time to put them all in right now. This is also a place to ask what the Tauredain as a whole think of your faction in more specific. Allies: KT, UDES, Atmora, Clan Kor, Gaerdrim, Fangorn. Enemies: Moredain, Cerinrim, Mordor, Half Trolls. Neutral: Limwaith, Umbar, Variags, Near Harad, Merchant's Guild, Gondor, Dol Amroth. Too Far Away to Know Much: Rohan, Lindon, Lothlorien, Wood-elves, Salveks, Avari, Standard Rhun, Arnor, Shire, Rangers of the West, Dol Guldur, Gundabad, Angmar, Utumno, Dunland, People of the Anduin. This will be under edit a lot. Tauredain Government and Social Class: The government and social class of the Tauredain is very complex. It acts like a teetering tower of social status. Please note the names of these classes have been translated as best as possible into Westron. Those with no western equivalent remain Tauredainian and some names sound a little awkward in this language. This order of men is laid out in the Quipya. Emperor: At the top is the emperor. The position of emperor is inherited by the youngest child of the Tauredain royal family, male or female. They can turn down the offer but almost never do. The current emperor of the Tauredain is Coaxotl, Lord of the Trees, King of the Jungle, Mighty of the Earthlings, Champion of All Hunters, Greatest of Archers, Envoy of Yirasana, Guardian of the Sacred Mumak, and Protector of the Hlatuk groves. He is the mightiest of any force in the Tauredain lands and wears the sacred headdress during most times. He is the chosen one of Yirasana and honored as her envoy on earth. All other Tauredain citizens refer to him. As emperor he is surpreme leader of religious, economic, and political matters. He need not worry over any simple matters such as getting food, but he often hunts for pleasure and status despite this. He is attended by slaves and servants at all times and his living quarters are the most expensive and best in the empire, as is his food. He is one of 7 people allowed to enter the sacred groves of Hlatuk with his eyes open, and the only one allowed to speak. He is quite totally and completely the head honcho of everything Tauredainian. Empress: Since the Emperor is not always male the term Empress is not technically always correct, but the spouse of the Emperor nonetheless commands only slightly less than equal respect to the emperor. On the other hand they do not in fact have as much real power as the Emperor, in fact they lack much authority over the highest ranking officials. However the spouse does have the power of a well trusted advisor. After the emperor and their spouse there are three positions of equal power. They often quarrel over decisions, and attempt to acquire more power. These are the Copalli, Sacerdotxl, and Vixier. Copalli: The right hand of the Emperor, the Copalli can be male and female. The Copalli is chosen by the emperor from a collection of Atal. Their job is too oversee all the everyday matters that are too small for the Emperor's attention. The Copalli has jurisdiction over all domestic workers, merchants, and artisans, and has almost as much power as the emperor himself. The only areas their extensive influence do not extend too are military and religion. The Copalli defers only to the emperor. Sacerdotxl: The Sacerdotxl is the high priest of the Tauredain. They most commonly female, but powerful males have been in power as well. They are chosen by the Emperor from a collection of priests. The Sacerdoxtl presides over all religious affairs and a great collection of other priests. They are one of the seven able to enter the Groves of Hlatuk with their eyes open and are greatly revered by all in Tauredain society. More information on Tauredain Religion will come later. Vixier: The Vixier is the supreme commander of the Tauredain fighting forces. They are traditionally men but woman have often taken the roll as well. They are chosen by the Emperor from among a group of individual generals. More information on Tauredain military will come later. Advisors: Pretty self explanatory. The emperor has a large collection of advisors who advise laws and political decisions. While they lack official power to command their esteemed place close to the emperor grants them great respect. Nomax: After the advisors come a collection of noble families known as Nomax. The Nomax govern the individual satrapies of the Tauredain Empire. The emperor governs the satrapy surrounding the capital, and the Emperor is the Head of all Nomax. Each other Nomax answers to the Emperor and the Copalli as his agent. They are also subject to the Sacerdotxl in matters of religion and the Vixier in matters of Military. The Emperor has the right to remove a Nomax family from office and promote a different Nomax instead. A Nomax lives in a palace in the Capitol city of that Saptrapy. Many Nomax are family of the Emperor. Each Nomax has there own small private army, and revolts have happened from time to time. More information on Tauredain geography will come later. The Vixier, Sacerdotxl, and Copalli each have right hand men/women, they all share equal status. Various Captains: Underneath the Vixier are several, so to speak, various captains. They all have about equal power. They consist of the Captain of the Mumak Guard, the Captain of the Palace Guard, the Captain of the Cavalry, and three Infantry Captains. Each govern the respective forces in and out of combat. More Soldier Social Classes will come later. Green Hands: Under the Sacerdotxl are the Green Hands. They are the highest ranking priests after the Sacerdotxl, and there are only ever five at one time. They are among the seven allowed to enter the Groves of Hlatuk with their eyes open along with the Sacerdotxl and the Emperor. They are the go-to's for every Sacerdotxl and well versed in matters of Tauredain Religion. More info on Tauredain Religion later. Head Atal: Even the Copalli can only organize so much, occasionally, he falls to his two assistants. The Head Atal. Chosen for their skill and analytical thinking, these two scribes go around and organize all aspects of Tauredain society when the Copalli can not. They also manage their fellow Atal. More on the Atal later. From now on their are little positions of equal status and most positions contain many occupants. Wild Ones: The religious rank directly below the Green Hand, these priests organize temples in the Capitols of Satrapies. They take direct orders from the Green Hands and the Sacerdotxl himself, but usually simply handle the religious ceremonies in these areas. Wild Ones often clash with the Nomax, as the Nomax have more authority, but Wild Ones take orders from the Sacerdotxl, who has more authority than the Nomax. You may be beginning to see Tauredain social class is much more than tribal leaders and slaves. The Golden Hunters: The best warriors in the Tauredain Empire, they are called to hunt savage beats and fight powerful enemies. The Golden Hunters are some of the best in Far Harad and can go through almost anything. In fact an average Golden Hunter can fend off and kill on his own twenty experienced Cerinrim Warriors going through a blood craze. Unfortunately the Golden Hunters don't exactly grow on trees. There numbers are small but they are still very formidable. These peerless men are often praised as heroes by the common folk and showered with fame and glory. They are also distinct on the battlefield. They are the Rangers of the Tauredain, they can disappear into the forest and melt back out in a moment. They are enigmatic and wild Golden Hunters are often characterized with a distinctly romantic tinge. Many remember the battle where they destroyed an entire Near Harad army from behind. Ambassadors: The Tauredain employ the fastest jungle deer to carry these wily men back and forth on missions for the Tauredain. They are very well trained in persuasive arts and all the proper mannerisms, most are trilingual. There vital and noble place in society commands respect for them fro mother more lowly citizens. Atal: Below the elite ranks of the military and the ambassadors are the Atal. They may not be as respected in Tauredain society as the heroes of the army but they might very well have more power. They are the supervisors and organizers of the Tauredain Empire. Under the lead of the Copalli and Head Atals, they take note on supplies, handle taxes, and inspect public works. They demand respect in Tauredain society and citizens recognize their dependence on them. Priests: These average, everyday, priests conduct worship in the temples of the Wild Ones. They have are greatly respected and to have even one of these average priests mad at you is a terrible thing. They are the organizers of religious services in these cities and they often know many citizens. Beast Tamers: A great part of Tauredain religion is the worship of animals large and small. But not all priests are adapt to this task. The famed beast Tamers of the Tauredain not only work with dangerous animals including the fierce some Mumakil, they study and work with plants as well. This gives them great, almost religious respect in society. Racanal: Tauredain people put knowledge very high in society, the Racanal are people who devote their lives to this study. They might study animals, engineering, history, medicine, they all work for the Empire to create a better more knowledgeable place. To become a Racanal one must study for a year under a chosen subject master and then be tested by the Pharoah himself. Because of this they are held in high esteem by the commonplace. After the test Racanal can choose to wander the Empire in an attempt to advance their subject, or they can settle in a Capitol city and benefit society with their knowledge. Vetan: The small commanders put in charge of sections of the Tauredain army. They have authority in society as veterans and trusted leaders, however they don't command the same respect as the heroes from the elites, even if they are captains. Palace Watch: To be enlisted in the service of the emperor is a great honor for any soldiers. It shows they are reliable, thoughtful, dependable, and trusted. The Palace watchers protect the emperor at all cost, and not just his palace. They are his official guard, even of many emperors have employed others as well. Mumak Guard: These brave and wild soldiers ride the notoriously volatile Mumakil into battle. With their famous war paint and javelins they strike terror into the hearts of their enemies everywhere. When at home the fierce warriors are well respected and complimented constantly. Cavalry: Long ago one Tauredain tribe domesticated the fabled jungle deer. Nowadays the Tauredain empire uses this knowledge to fuel an efficient and well trained cavalry. The honorable combination of forming a complex bond with a particular animal and the fact they are important and daring soldiers grants them a high status and respect. Infantry: Pretty self explanatory. More information in Tauredain Military. Suqua: These are the upper class owners of businesses and establishments in Tauredain cities. They usually support a large family and are the some of the most common members of society. More information will come in Tauredain Geography and Economy and Society sections. They often look down upon merchants as wild men with no self discipline or honor. Catl: The average citizens of cities. They are usually the family of Suqua and are supported by them as well as gaining extra pay working for other Suqua. They are simple, free and have a good sense of humor. In general they lead a good life. Merchants: In cities their are two main classes. The Suqua and Catl, and the Merchants. The are craftsmen and traders. They travel from city to city, tribe to tribe, selling their wares to the empire. They often set up stalls at festivals in the lower parts of cities, and therefore are often on bad terms with resident Suqua. They consider the Suqua and Catl to be cowardous and aloof. From this point on, no longer are these social classes based in the cities. Now they are classes in the simple tribal villages around the jungle. Starting with the tribal chieftain. Tribal Chieftain: The respected leader of the tribe. Each tribe has it's own customs and reds for their leader but each one is a guiding force in small Tauredain communities. They are also the head warriors and hunters in a tribal community. They are usually chosen by the shaman from a collection of hunter-warriors. Shaman: The religious head of different tribes, they have almost as much power as the Chieftain himself. They usually wear elaborate dress and jewelry and command lots of respect in tribes. They sometimes come at odds with Tribal Chieftains. Hunter: Each tribe have it's own collection of hunters who provide most of the food source for society. They are also experts in tracking, stealth, and setting snares and traps. When the Tauredain enter a large war they are called to be militia. Because of this they command great respect in Tauredain society and are a class higher than the common folk. Common Folk: Each tribe has a different large export depending on their location. These common, simple tribesmen live ordinary lives in village. Most of them craft, gather, or partake in the local export. For some areas farming, others mining, both in each one the community folk partake in their duties. In most cases this is the lowest social class. A Separate Note on Servants and Slaves: There are of course some other ranks in society. The Tauredain do observe the practice of slavery, despite great respect for their slaves. Most slaves being prisoners of war. A slave or servant's status in society depends on their master. Servants in service of the Emperor have a very high status with priest slaves slightly lower and so on. Far Harad Trading Company The single biggest trading company in existence. It operates originates from the Tauredain. It started out as a small merchant group, and through shrewd tactics became so powerful that they have a monopoly over the Tauredain's drug economy. They operate within both domestic and foreign trading and markets. However, though they are on their surface a normal trading group, they are totally unscrupulous, and deal in just about every single illegal and morally wrong thing you can imagine. And their leader, a woman named Slythe, is the worst of them all. She also has the advantage of being shockingly, jaw-droppingly attractive. The Limwaith The Cerinrim. The Merchant Kingdom Not a typical Kingdom, the Merchant Kingdom wanders, led by the Merchant Prince. Where ever they go, they bring riches from all over the world. Don't get on their bad sides though... They will crush you ruthlessly if you displease them. They are known for cruelty in war and riches in peace. The Crimson Order A order of harsh crusader, they hail form the great forest of the north near the Gray Mountains. They wish to spread the word of their god through conquest and conversion. All so called heretics must burn to satisfy Zacma the god of mist and fire. Quotes: "The lord above will bless us in this fight, let him bless thy sword so i may slay the pagans, may he bless my men so we can spread his word" - Grandmaster Valoric "Holy is the spilling of pagan blood so holy the god demand it, all shall bow to our lord or they shall fell thy stell" - Khomer asruto "Glor to the lord he who gives me the sword and the holy books, both are used to spread his will." -unknown soilder. Ka'ax-Toliath A complex confederation of Vanyar, Noldor and Silvan Elves, along with the Tauredain, Limwaith, Numenoreans and Far Easterlings. It is governed by the two Maiar, Galad and Anahera, along with a democratic senate. It is located on an atoll far from mainland Middle Earth, closer to Meneltarma than anything. They share the island peacefully with tropical Ents and humanoid Monk Parakeets. They are allied with the Silverocks and the Grey Keep. However, their relationship with the Gaerdhrim is even closer. They were always very technologically advanced, they just had to wait until Arda was at their level to show it publicly. That never stopped Galad's travels, though........ The Grey Keep When Eureka Enderborn was allowed to lead Noldorin forces, he created a large fortress in the foothills of the White Mountains, which he dubbed "The Grey Keep". This fortress serves as both his base of operations and as a sort of watchtower, keeping an eye on the East while Gondor and Rohan focus on the South once the War of the Ring is over. The Gaerdhrim The Gaerdhrim people are Vanyar from Aman, ruled by Karos the Just and Zealous, a Maia of Varda. They are located in Minas Gaer and Zaere, the twin capitals. They also have the Senate of the Gaerdi to assist governing. They have pigments of blue or green and gills. Their transport is whales, dolphins and dugongs. Their realm extends to surround Tol Erreseä and the Ka'ax Toliath and borders Gondor, Harad, Lindon, Umbar and Aman, the Valaric continent. Elves of Erynlond Elves that live in a city on the south coast of Lindon. The population is mainly Noldorin and Sindarin. They are under the rule of Mindonor. Rangers of the West These rangers built boats and set sail, hoping to create a fleet powerful enough to destroy even the strongest evil vessel. What they found was an island, previously unknown, even to the elves. It's location is a closely guarded secret, however trade is quite popular, as ore is not as common as in other regions, and the soil is not the best for farming. They have a leader named Will, along with 49 other elites, surpassing the skill of any other archer, and able to overcome most swordmen in melee combat. It has a medium sized and relatively well trained army, ready to fight in days of first notice. The large majority of the population is farmers, who work hard to supply food for the country. It has some of the best metal smiths, who can churn out armour and weapons relatively quickly if needed. It has one of the best navy, only beaten by Umbar, but the archers can take out the crews of small fleets. Chain armour is the most common, but plate armour is not unheard of. The Sargoth A race of Lizard-people spawned by Morgoth deep in the dungeons of Utumno. The Sargoth were trapped there for centuries, before eventually the impact of an alien starship destroyed their prison and they escaped. The crashed ship was still functional to a degree, and the Sargoth gained quite a lot of advanced technology, while still retaining their tribal mind-set. They lost all knowledge of Morgoth, and began to venerate their queen, whom they revered as a god. Given that sunlight caused them pain, they were forced to tunnel about, and quite soon all the Dwarven realms had fallen to their surprise attacks and advanced weapons. They eventually constructed a new spaceship out of the crashed one and blasted off to parts unknown. Salveks A ancient race almost as old as the galaxy its self! the only memories of them left are the great wars the once waged on the great dwarven empires burning many of there worlds, sadly not all wars could be won so they decided to put there people and empire to sleep in giant tomb worlds until the dwarven race died out, well that plan failed the dwarves still thrive but the humans unexperienced in galactic history awoke these great warriors form there deep sleep. there culture is a mix or rhunic and persain, all slaveks carries rugs and a small carpets with them even in battle! and they believe in honor and brotherhood in battle. The salveks are split up into 25 clans each having a say in the grand council, Each clan has 4 senators and each decade a new set off high council men are elected. a starnge fact about them is that on there homeworld or capitol you must speak salvek to not do so is a crime punishable by death. Non-lotr factions: The Vesh A old race that was Gifted by the tech of an dead civilization they live in peace for thousands of years until they meet the Terrans of Earth, at first both races worker together but for reasons unknown to the Terrans the Vesh invaded earth the weapon they used against earth was called the 'Star Fall' it eradicated much of earth and killed a third of the human population. The Yupo Let's start with biology. They are about the size of an average house cat. In regular form they have sleek, relatively thin, but very soft fur. They have a monkey's body anatomy in terms of limbs, torso, and tail. It's important to note that their tail is so dexterous it could probably grasp and fire a pistol. Their face looks more cat than monkey like but has some monkey features. Their eyes have reflective lenses like cats which allow them to see in he dark. They are very agile, excellent climbers, extremely fast, have excellent sense, and are quite stealthy. Their senses and anatomy combine the best features of cats and monkeys in general. They have their own language comprising of thousands of different calls, but they can use most languages after hearing them for a little while. Compared to humans and most human-like creatures they are very weak when it comes to pure physical strength. Also their fur can come in all colors a cat could have, black being the most common, as well as shades of dark green, purple, and blue. Also they have an interesting feature that allows them to adapt to most environments. In a very cold environment their fur grows at least twice as long, in a hot one they lose almost all of it. In an aquatic one they can grow gills and loose all fur, gaining scales and webbed feet. However this isn't shape shifting, they can't change their appearance or general structure. Cuisine first. Like the cats they take influence from they are excellent hunters. They will eat almost any meat creatures, but they prefer to catch their own food. But they do enjoy putting tons of herbs and spices on it. Their ships have a distinct design. These ships are exceedingly small because of Yupo size, larger than a horse, but smaller than most cars. They are strangely shaped like an elegant tear drop. It is made out of a metal that shines black like obsidian and is carved with many elegant silver lines. Here's a layout of the build. The cockpit is at the very upper front, large enough to give the Yupo plenty of comfort room, but still small enough to be efficient with space. Everything is designed to be comfortable, the seat is soft and all controls can be accessed from a reclined position. The cockpit is usually decorated and personalized with trinkets by the owner. Below it is a large storage place, it contains almost all the technology needed for the ship, including weaponry. Behind these as the tear drop gets smaller are the power core and propulsion mechanisms. Behind this the tear drop gradually tapers into a point, but to enhance the effect a trail is left by the ship just behind to give the impression the tear drop is much longer than it is. They have perhaps the best cloaking devices in the galaxy, but they never use shields. They also have excellent scanners, they can detect almost all ships. They also have a variety of tech used to pick up and hack communications. Screens in the cockpit show all sides of the ship at all times, and they can be adjusted into infra red, stop motion, and basically any other way you can think of. They also have several electronic maps showing any disturbances, (such as communications), to locate ships and potential dangers, as well as the current ship location and all charted space objects. Now this is a grey area but here goes The power core is made from a strange and rare substance treated, melded, and conditioned many times over. It powers everything in the ship, though there are also several back up energy sources. The power core can take most forms of energy, mechanical, electric, chemical, and such and turn them into energy to power the ship. Now the Yupo ships are unique In that they don't have conventional engines. The power core is connected to a device that manipulates it's energy in a very effective way. I won't get too technical, but basically it tranfers everything into pure motion, since motion is energy in the first place anyway. This moves the ship through space. I'm still working out kinks. Anyway other than that there is not much more than weaponry in the ship, which I will get too later. Individual weaponry and tech is complex and hard to explain and there are many different examples, but I'll do my best to give you some examples. A common weapon is an elegant silver handgun. It fires electric charges, they can range in intensity from a shock that will wake people up to one so intense it basically fries the receiver. Another example is a small hand tool that fires an extremely powerful but focused laser to cut through metal. And of course all Yupo wear there signature silver tribal masks. The Krell The Krell are a sub species of humans. They are bred just for war. Their origins are unknown, but they are amazing fighters, being exponentially better in combat than that of a human. Their technology follows that of the ancient Romans; integrating any useful technology into their own. They are now feared through the Galaxy; after capturing numberless worlds and enslaving entire populations. They are monsters when it comes to morality, having no standards, and no laws governing how they wage war. Anything goes... A few Krell quotes: "...May the ancestors bless my fury, so I may split a thousand Alien skulls, as the gods bless my feet so I may trample their hope..." -Excerpt from the Tome of Battle, the oldest Krell holy book. "We're out of ammo? No matter, d**n the cannons, we'll run ourselves into the f*****g flagship!" -High Admiral Kenthal, now regarded as a martyr, and amongst the highest of the ancestors.